Fuel-feeding system



W. H. MUZZY.

FUEL i-EEDING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED DEC-L1920.

1,391,204. Patentedsept. 20,1921,

3J6 Jim e22 279W casting 6.

WILLIAM H. MUZZY, or CHICAGO, rumors.

FUEL-FEEDING SYSTEM.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept. 20, 1921.

Application filed December 17, 1920. SerialNo. 431,343.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, \VILLIAM H. MUZZY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and use ful Improvements in Fuel-Feeding Systems, of which I declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in fuel feeding systems iorautomobiles and has more particular relation to the system of fuel feeding commonly known as vacuum tanks employed for feeding the fuel for the motor from a tank, generally located at the rear of the machine, to a convenient point adjacent to the carburetor for gravity feed to the latter.

()ne of the principal objects of the present invention is to provide atank in which direct suction from the manifold of the engine is employed to operate or open the atmosphere valve which is being held closed by atmospheric pressure.

A further object of the invention is to provide a tank of improved construction, which is controlled in its operations by small floats and receives a suction impulse direct from the manifold to operate parts the floats are incapable of operating.

The invention also has other objects all of which will be hereinafter set forth and claimed.

in the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification; r

The figure represents a central vertical section of my improved form of tank.

In the aforesaid drawings, 1 represents the outer shell or" the vacuum tank, 2 the inner receptacle, 4 the cover for the latter and 3 the gasolene line attaching nipple cast integral with the cover. The casing or casting 6 is also integral with the cover and is formed with an attaching screw threaded nipple 5 for the attachment of the suction line that connects the tank with the manifold of the engine whereby a vacuum is created in the tank for elevating the gasolene from the rear tank of the machine in a manner well known in the art andneeding no further description here. The nipple 5 is provided with a wall 17 having a very small suction orifice which opens into a vertical chamber or passage 8 formed inthe A close fitting plunger 7 is mounted in the passage 8? toslide freely therein and is formed with an extension 18 which when the plunger is in its upper position, as shown in the drawings, contacts with a nut 8- adjustably mounted on the stem 27 fast in the small lower float 28. The lower end of the stem is guided by an apertured boss 29 secured to the bottom of the inner receptacle 2. The upper end of the stem carries the atmosphere valve 10 locked in position on the screw threaded portion of the stem by a lock nut 15. This valve 10 is adapted to "be seated on the valve seat 16 which surrounds the atmosphere orifice connecting with the passage 8. The upper end of the stem 27 contacts with a limiting screw 11 mounted in a eapplate 12 and provided with a milled head 14. A fine screen cylinder 9 is mounted ontop of the casting 6 about the valve '10 and supports the cap plate 12, a narrow flange 13 on the cap plate holding the screen in position. This screen protectsthe valve from anyidirt or dust that might interfere with its action.

The upper cork float 26 is provided with a light metal sleeve 25 which surrounds andslides on the rod 27. The upper end of this sleeve 25 supports the plunger 7 and as the gasoleiie in the chamber or receptacle 2 rises the plunger is moved upward in the passage 8 until the tapered portion 18 of the plunger so far closes the lower end of the passage 8 as to cause thesuction to grip'and draw the plunger fully into the passage and upward with a hammer blow to strike the nut 8 and force the atmosphere valve off of its seat. This action allows the float 28 which is fully submerged at this time, to.

rise slightly with the valve 10 and thus hold the valve open when the plunger 7 drops back which it does practically at once as atmospheric pressure is instantly restored to the passage suction to hold the plunger up. The plunger drops until it contacts with the top of the sleeve 25 and in this position sufiicient air leaks past the upper part of the plunger into the receptacle 2 to destroy all remaining vacuum in the receptacle and ll gvt descend into the shell oi chamber gasolcne to l. The receptacles 1 and 2 are connected by suitable valve devices comprising a casting 32, a flapper valve 30 and headed screws 31 on which the valve is movable to cover and uncoverthe passage through thecasting 32 ling. manner well known in the art so that 116"" 8 and thercis no longer any.

the gasolene may pass downward but may not pass upward.

The outer shell 1 is provided with a. nlpple 33 by means of which the tank is connected to the carbureter, the chamber formed by this outer shell being vented to the atmos 'phere in any suitable manner, as by a vent orifice as shown or by metal to metal contact between flanges 24 and 23 of the inner and outer shells respectively which constructlon and venting is old and well known in the art.

The flanges 23 and 24 and the cover 4 are held together with a cork air tight gasket 22 between the top and the flange 23, by screws 21 which pass through and screw into the ring 24. v

The level a:-a2 of gasolene in the tank is the high level and is the point at which the suction takes hold of the plunger 7 to draw it upward and cause it to deliver its hammer blow on the nut .8. The dotted line plunger position shows the position to which the plunger falls after it has opened the atmospheric valve and thus relieved itself of the drag of the vacuum in the passage 8. The 7 is apertured as at 20 so that the stem 27 may pass loosely through it and the plunger may'slide up and down freely on the stem. The plunger 7 is of course given the proper weight to cause it to fall when relieved of the suction by the opening of the atmospheric valve. It will of course be understood that the sleeve 25 may be connected to the plunger 7 if desired and the weight of the cork and the sle ve added to assist in returning the plunger to its lower position. By reference to the drawings it will be observed that the atmospheric area of the plunger 7 is greater than the atmospheric area of the valve 10 and these proportions may be maintained to any degree desired to cause the plunger 7 to dominate the valve 10 and force the same open when drawn upward.

It will of course be understood that as the plunger 7 fits loosely in the passage 8 and about the rod 27, there will be a slight leakage of suction ast the plunger and into the receptacle 2 prior to the time that the valve 10 opens and in the event of this val-ve not opening by the first impact of the plunger 7 gasolene Wlll thus continue to flow into the chamber 2 and the float 26 will continue to. rise and add its force to the suction force of the plunger to force the valve 10 open. In addition to this, the force of the float 28, which is fully submerged at this time, will be added 'toforce the valve 10 open.

In the normal operation of the device howeverthe plunger 7 will alone force the valve 10 open as it is balancing the valve with the same suction that is holding it closed andalso dominates it. As the plunger 7 passes fully into the passage it will be seen, that the vacuum in t e passage 8% immediately builds upv while the vacuum in the receptacle 2 immediately decreases and approximates atmospheric pressure. Thls is true because after the plunger fully enters the passage the suction is practically disconnected from the chamber 2 and what gasolene continues to flow into the chamber soon destroys the remaining v'acuum, this action being assisted by the many natural air leaks that adevice of this kind contains because of the packing gaskets, valves, etc. In order .to make the connection between the plunger and the top 4 as near air tight as possible I form the lower part of the plunger with a head or valve portion 19, which, when the plunger is in its upper position, seats upon a valve seat formed in the top. This valve portion of the plunger however. is not essential to the operation of the device and the plunger may be constructed without it if desired.

The upper and reduced tapered portion of the plunger 18 always projects partly into the passage 8, as shown in dotted linesin the drawings, and thus forms a guide for the plunger so that, in the event that it has dropped a little to one side when in its lower position, it will be properly guided into the passage 8 when elevated by the float 26.

In the drawings the tank is shown, with the parts in the positions that they have assumed just after the gasolene has reached its high level and the plunger 7 has been drawn upwa rd and raised the valve 10, the starting position of the plunger being shown in dotted lines. After the valve, 10 has been opened the passage 8' is reduced to atmospheric pressure and there is no longer any force to hold the plunger 7 in its.

elevated position and it falls by gravity into a position in which atmospheric pressure will be admitted to the chamber 2 in the small circular orifice left open about the extension of the plunger, this orifice be ing gradually enlarged as the gasolene in the chamber 2 descends and allows the cork 26 which is supporting the plunger to also descend. The gasolene then flows freely past the valve 30 into the receptacle 1 from which it is fed by gravity to the carbureter in a manner well known in the art. As the gasolene in the chamber 2 descends the lower end'34 of the sleeve 25 carried by the float 26 comes to rest upon the upper side of the float 28 which at this time is holding up the valve 10. When the level of the gasolene passes below the buoyancy point of the float 26 and the float 28, which are now acting as one float, the valve 10 will be drawn to its seat and the operation of the tank will be repeated. It will be seen that when the plunger 7 is in its upper position the stem 27 will be guided thereby but when the plunger descends so far that its tapered portion alone lies in the passage 8 the stem may move slightly to one side until the valve 10 is arrested by contacting with the wall of the valve seat at one side. As the floats continue to descend the stem and valve are drawn downward and centered and thereafter guided by the valve being fairly drawn onto its seat. As long as the valve is on its seat the stem is held at its upper end and forms an additional guide for the plunger in, its upward movement so that it passes properly into the passage 8 It will be further understood that the float 26 may be limited in its downward movement by any support connected to the top or side walls of the receptacle 2 so that the float 28 may operate independently of the float 26. This would increase the amount of gasolene pumped during each cycle of operation as the level of the fuel in the receptacle would reach a lower point before the valve 10 would close.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a vacuum fuel feeding tank, the

combination with a vacuum receptacle, of an atmospheric tank into which it discharges, a suction connection for the vacuum receptacle, a connection for feeding gasolene to the vacuum receptacle, an atmosphere valve and an operating plunger therefor situated at opposite sides of the suction connection and mounted for 'movement of the plunger toward and from the atmosphere valve, the suction-caused movement being toward the valve in the direction for opening the latter, and a float in the vacuum receptacle for controlling the plunger. I 2. In a vacuum fuel feeding tank, the combination with a. vacuum receptacle, of an atmospheric tank into which it discharges, an atmosphere valve and a suction operated plunger therefor mounted for movement toward and from each other from opposite ends of a passage communieating with the vacuum receptacle, the suction-caused movement of the plunger being in the direction for opening the valve, a suction connection communicating with the passage between the valve and plunger, and a float in the vacuum receptacle for con trolling the plunger.

3. In a vacuum fuel feeding tank, the combination with a vacuum receptacle, of an atmospheric tank into which it discharges, an atmosphere valve and an operating plunger therefor mounted to oppose each other -from opposite ends of a passage communicating with the vacuum receptacle, a suction connectior communicating with the passage between the valve and plunger to balance the same, and independent floats connected to the valve and plunger respectively and operating in the vacuum receptacle.

l. In a vacuum t'ucl feeding tank. the combination with a vacuum receptacle, of an atmosphere tank into which it discharges, an atmosphere valve. a suction operated device for the valve, a suction connection throwing full suction on the valve and its operating device independently of the vacuum in the vacuum receptacle and a float for controlling the suction. operated device.

5. In a vacuum fuel feeding tank, the combination. with a vacuum receptacle, of an atmospheric tank into which it discharges, an atmosphere valve, a suction operated device for the valve, a suction connection throwing full suction on the valve and its operating device independently of the vacuum in the vacuum receptacle and constructed to cut oil the suction from the vacuum chamber or receptacle, and a float in the vacuum receptacle for controlling the suction operated device.

0. In a vacuum fuel feeding tank, the combination with a vacuum receptacle, of an atmospheric tank into which it discharges, a cover forthe vacuum receptacle having a suction passage therein, an atmosphere valve covering a port entering the passage, a suction operated plunger in the passage for opening the valve, a suction connection communicating with the passage, and a float in the vacuum receptacle for controlling the plunger.

7. In a vacuum 'l'uel feeding tank, the combination with a vacuum receptacle, of an atmospheric tank into which it discharges, a cover for the vacuum receptacle having a suction passage therein, an atmosphere valve covering a port for the passage, a float for supporting the atmosphere valve, a suction operated plunger in the passage for opening the valve, a float for controlling the plunger and a suction connection communicating with the passage.

8. In a vacuum i'uel feeding tank, the combination with a vacuum receptacle, of an atmospheric. tank into which it discharges, a cover for the vacuum receptacle having a suction passage therein, an atmosphere valve at one end of the passage, a suction-operated plunger at the other-end of the passage having its slurtion-caused movement relative to the valve toward the same in the direction for opening the valve, a suction connection intermediate the two ends of the passage and means in the tank for controlling the actions of the valve and the plunger.

In testimony whereof I ailix my signature at Chicago, Ill., November lfith, i920.

\VILL'IAM II. MUZZY. 

